Wassoulou Music of Mali

The Wassoulou region, which is the south Bamako became the point of a new wave of dance music which is known as wassoulou.  Wassoulou has been developed since the mid-70s. Jeliw have not played a large part in the music scene there, and the music was more democratic.

source of picture: akusonhenry.wordpress.com

The new type of wassoulou is a mixture of hunter’s songs with sogoninkun, which is a type of masked dance and this music is largely based on the kamaklengoni harp initiated in the late 1950s by Allata Brulaye Sidibi. Women are the most singers. Oumou Sangare was the first major wassoulou star; she gained popularity suddenly in the year 1989 at her release of Moussoulou both in Mali and the international music market.  Wasulu is a place in the southwest Mali. Souk is traditional Wassoulou single cords fiddle which correspond to the Songhai n’diaraka or njarka which doubles the vocal melody.

Since in the 90s, however the majority of Malian famous singers are still jelimusow, wassoulou’s popularity has continued to increase. Wassoulou music is mainly well-known among the youth. Though the western spectators classify wassoulou artists like Oumou Sangare as feminists for criticizing the practices like the polygamy and arranged marriage within Mali that they were not being viewed in light because of their messages and when they do not support the status quo of gender roles, it is slightly expressed and have more than one worded, though keeping them open to a diverse of meanings and avoiding direct censure from Malian society.